Cleaning a tank for lazy people

T

thejoker

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Aug 1, 2003
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Hey everyone,

Something we all have to do is clean our tanks. So I thought it would be great for those of us who have made this normally tiresome job easier to share their efficient and time saving methods. I'm not one of those efficient people as far as I know. When I clean my tank I use python like device that attaches to the faucet to first suck out the water and vacuum the tank. Then I refill it using the same method. My next step is to clean the filter, which is an aquaclear 300. I remove it take out all the media and clean it out. Then I rinse all of my media except for one of the sponges and put it all back. Sounds pretty boring huh. Once in awhile I also just take an algae sponge and clean the algae on my tank if there is any.

I think I'm using pretty standard methods of cleaning my tank. I'd be interested in knowing what you guys do. Especially if there are any products out there that you think are really helpful in making the job easier.
 
I scrape down the front glass with the edge of my library card and rinse out the floss frames and squeeze out sponges whenever my filters have reduced flow or by-pass. At water changes I let the fresh water swill into the tank, not quite enough to disturb gravel, but definitely enough to lift detritus into the water column, where the filter intake soon takes it up. And I prune plant leaves at the first sign of yellowing or bad algae.

Otocinclus do the rest. And rooting Botia.
 
I use one of those algae magnets, like the magfloat, when cleaning my glass. Pretty easy, even for us lazy people (you know who you are. ;) ) The plecos get most everything else. I am still using buckets to do water changes but am planning to upgrade to a python pretty soon.
 
letting the snails do it all

I have Malaysian Trumpet Snails in my tanks and they do most of the cleaning for me. I don't gravel vac, as it is a well planted tank. The snails get all the mulm off the gravel surface. I don't even see any debris floating around when I refill the tank during water change.

Now that I've switched to a canister filter, I open it and clean it once each 3 months, whether it needs it or not. And I clean the hoses the following month by carrying them out into the yard and spraying them as well as possible.

I do check the glass for algae, but it's gotten prety hard to find.

The Python did speed things up a lot, compared to hauling 30 gallons in buckets -- Out, then another 30 gallons back in. That cut 1.5 to 2 hours off the weekly drill.

Most of my maintainence is spent testing water, and renewing DIY CO2. And trimming plants, often for shipment to other hobbiests.
 
I leave the aquaclears running while I remove the sponge and rinse in the old water.

I also use the magnafloat magnet cleaners, and only do the front of the tank. the alge looks good on the backs/sides and is useful.

Once you get the tank in balance with plants, right amount of light (use a timer) and fertilizer/CO2, the only thing time consuming is changing the water, which is the last thing you want to skimp on.

Floating plants like water sprite and wisteria work great, eat nitrates and starve the algae.
 
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